Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I am officially past due, and as far as I can tell this little baby is still not in any hurry to make his way out into the world. BUT, aside from feeling ridiculously huge and pregnant, this week has been glorious! Last week I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed and sorry for myself, but then I happened acrossthis beautiful and moving postby Maryam, and it made me want to eat every precious moment up with my girls. Especially now, before life changes, even though it's a joyful change. Savoring the present this week means means enjoying this wild pair. Just the two of them....

With Rich's job change, we are enjoying our first ever real spring break and I love it. We were sad not to make our yearly trip to Arizona, but having to stay close to home has been a tremendous blessing. I love home, and I especially love it when we get enjoy it together. It makes me appreciate all the simple, unrushed pleasures of family life, the ones that usually get pushed aside when life gets too busy. The ones that refresh us and make all the ups and downs seem worthwhile like

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Today is day two of warmish rain. Ideally there would be some sun too, but I've found myself resigned and even enjoying that particular type of earthy dampness that goes along with lots of spring rain. Not so much the mud part, but definitely that mossy-ness that's sort of fresh and dank both at once. Something about it reminds me of the earthy cool smell/sensation of unfinished old basements and cellars.

It's the same kind of feeling I get when I look at rooms that turn black and white into a rustic combo with touches of raw wood. When we think of black and white we usually think of high impact, glossy spaces, but my favorite applications of the never-out-of-style color combo classic are the earthier ones...

like this one by Atlanta Bartlett....

(Atlanta Bartlett's Easy Elegance via Delight by Design)

Or this perfect basement apartment designed by Steve Gambrel. Before seeing it, I've never coveted the idea of subterranean living, but I love the rustic/industrial/garden feel of this one....

(S.R Gambrel)

Or this one from Domino which I love for the unusual combination of black walls and driftwood topped off by the minimalist exposed bulb sconce.....

(Domino)

Darryl Carter mastered it in his Virginia getaway (featured in Elle Decor a few years ago. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back to look over the spread. Usually I tear out magazine pages and ditch the rest, but I've kept the whole issue)....

(Elle Decor)

And I've spent nearly as much time studying Eddie Ross's perfectly rustic New York retreat. The beams, the beams! I love how he punctuates the white and raw wood (already one of my favorite combinations) with punches of sophisticated black in the sconces and taper candles....

(Lonny)

I fluctuate between wanting a sparkling pristine bathroom and a natural earthy one, but this picture definitely sways me toward the latter....

(notebook)

Even black and white stripes can take on an earthy feel when paired with unpainted wood...

On a totally unrelated note, still no baby...but suddenly I'm feeling totally ready and even anxiously impatient to the point where so many things that preoccupied my mind for the last few months suddenly seem irrelevant. I think that's a good sign...right?

Friday, April 8, 2011

This year we did a little variation onlast year's living Easter eggs(which we'll probably do again this year too since the girls love a good gardening project and I love watching things grow):

I am a pretty terrible plant keeper, and so I'm not especially ambitious when it comes to any type of gardening, but I absolutely love having living green things in my home. Green is my favorite color and natural/rustic is my long-standing favorite look, so it's only natural that despite many many many failed attempts I still like to invite a little natural green indoors. Thankfully, I've found some patient species, grass being one of the easiest to maintain and the quickest to grow. There are few things better or rarer than effortless instant satisfaction especially if it happens to be natural and living :)

For potted grass all you have to do is...

• 1. Find a suitable container. I chose a slightly shallow rectangular galvanized metal one because I wanted there to be a strong visual contrast between the container and grass, but almost any container will do the trick.

• 2. Select the appropriate type of grass seed. There are few spots in our house that get direct sunlight for more than a few hours at a time, and I wanted to grow mine on my mantel rather than having to move it around the house each day, so I chose a mostly shade mix. There are tons of varieties, so choose one that fits your home's strengths. Rye and Wheat grasses are popular choices for potted arrangements for their thicker blades, but I've found that thinner blades of regular grass seed can look just as cool.

• 3. Layer the bottom of the container with about a ½-1 inch of gravel or small pebbles to assist with water drainage. (My container didn't have drainage holes, so this was especially key).

• Cover the pebbles with a couple of inches of soil. I used a combination of top soil from an old potted plant from last year and regular dirt from our yard.

• 4. Sprinkle the soil with grass seeds.

• 5. Press the seeds slightly into the soil. • 6. Sprinkle the seeds with water or mist until the soil is very slightly damp.

• 7. Place in your desired location.

• 8. Mist the seeds every other day. You should start to see growth within a week, or in some cases within a couple of days. • 9. After blades are an inch or so in height, water lightly and evenly every few days. I've had the best results by watering until the soil is damp but no water is sitting above the soil line.• 10. Depending on your desired look, trim the tops of the blades with scissors as needed. This step is optional, and depends on whether you prefer a natural free form tuft or something clean cut. Some blades will grow more quickly than others, and trimming will help to keep a clean/non-scraggly look.

• 11. Enjoy! With weekly maintenance your grass could last anywhere from several weeks to several months.

This year I went a little overboard, planting little containers anywhere that seemed to need a spot of green...which is everywhere because spring is taking its sweet time taking hold in DC this year. I don't think I ever recall April being counted as a winter month in Washington. So until the grass decides to grow in our backyard we're enjoying lush little pockets indoors!

leah moss interiors llc

everyday artful living

Harmony can be struck between the everyday and the gourmet, and even a busy home has the potential to be a place of peace and inspiration. Driven by the conviction that beauty is essential AND attainable, I've made it my mission to seek out and highlight what is most beautiful, delicious, and inspiring in the everyday details.